In an interview with the Guernsey Press last month, Deputy Leadbeater, pictured, denied that close family members had a financial interest in the cannabis industry, and claimed that the only familial interest of any sort was that his sister worked for Elevated, the parent company of Bailiwick Botanicals, which sells hardware to users of medicinal cannabis.
Company documents inspected since then have revealed that Deputy Leadbeater’s parents are shareholders in Elevated, he transferred his own small shareholding in the company to them in April last year, and his sister has held a minor shareholding in the company since May 2024.
The documents also show that Deputy Leadbeater had a small shareholding in a related company, House of Green, until he transferred it to his parents last year. House of Green was previously active in cannabis processing but has said it is now a dormant company.
A complaint alleging numerous breaches of the States members’ code of conduct has been sent to interim standards commissioner Andrew Ozanne. The complaint, submitted by Robert Curgenven, was shown to the Guernsey Press by an unrelated third party.
‘The evidence provided to me by the companies involved simply is not compatible with Deputy Leadbeater’s claims,’ said Deputy Curgenven in the complaint.
‘Deputy Leadbeater has had plenty of opportunities to set the record straight. However, it does not appear that he has done so.
‘It could be inferred that Deputy Leadbeater wilfully withheld material information from both the public and his peers. He was not open, transparent or honest, nor was his conduct in line with the code or the Nolan Principles [on standards in public life] more generally.’
Deputy Leadbeater said on Friday that he accepted the accuracy of the information in the code of conduct complaint about his and his family’s shareholdings and the transfers between them last year.
But he insisted that the firms were not in the cannabis industry and denied providing misleading answers during his podcast interview in February.
‘The companies with a retail interest are selling unlicensed products which could be sold by anyone and are sold by many other outlets. They are not cannabis companies,’ said Deputy Leadbeater.
‘I could not sell the shares as they are of no value. If they were of value, I would have sold them and not given them away. I gave them to my dad because he was an existing shareholder in the companies.
‘There are only two cannabis companies in Guernsey and I have nothing to do with either of them, and neither does any member of my family.’
He said he had not been been formally notified of the code of conduct complaint but would defend himself if Mr Ozanne decided to launch a full investigation.
The complaint also alleges that Deputy Leadbeater made a late submission of his declaration of interests last year with the purpose of hiding shareholdings in the companies.
Deputy Leadbeater said he filed his declaration late only because of an administrative error and in any event had completed the share transfers a few weeks before the declaration was due.
‘I disposed of my shares before the June 2025 general election so that I could concentrate on the election and, hopefully once elected, the political term ahead,’ he said.
He was subsequently elected as president of the Home Affairs Committee.
The paperwork submitted to Mr Ozanne states that an unnamed person would be prepared to speak to him confidentially with evidence of other links alleged to exist betwen Deputy Leadbeater and the cannabis industry.
Bailiwick Botanicals runs retail outlets and also has an online shop selling cannabis-related paraphernalia, such as vapes and bongs. Its website states that it sells cannabis-infused edibles.
Deputy Leadbeater is the lead signatory of a requete due to be debated by the States this month which could pave the way for cannabis to be legalised locally. He maintained that he would not step back from leading it.
‘The companies in which I had an interest sell products which may be used by people with medicinal cannabis prescriptions, but that will all disappear if we move to a legalised and regulated regime, so if anything the companies will suffer if my requete ends up moving the island in that direction,’ he said.
Deputy Curgenven declined to comment on the code of conduct complaint.
Deputy Leadbeater revealed that he was also considering submitting a code of conduct complaint against Deputy Curgenven over ‘a relentless campaign’ against him and his Home Affairs Committee.
‘It’s bizarre and bordering on harassment,’ said Deputy Leadbeater.
‘I wouldn’t be surprised to get home one day and find him rummaging through my dustbin.’